Spending A Little Too Much Time Together
by Get Outta My Lana Del Way
Summary: Set before the victory tour. Katniss takes a lonely Peeta hunting and he soon returns the favour, both oblivious at how close they are getting.
1. Chapter 1

Katniss tugged on her hunting boots, leaning her foot on the stairs so she could tie her laces. Plucking her brown jacket from the clutter of coats hanging on the wall, she kissed Prim, who had just came bounding through the hall, on the forehead.

"See you later, little duck." Katniss smiled pulling on her jacket tossing her braid out the way. Prim responded with a quack and returned back into the kitchen. Katniss turned the door knob heading outside for another day hunting, coming face-to-face with a blonde stocky boy on the porch.

"Heya Katniss!" Peeta said

"Hi Peeta." Katniss was still recovering from the shocking of almost bumping into him.

"Where you going?"

"Hunting." Katniss replied blantantly

"Oh, I was going to ask you if you wanted to come bake with me, but urr… I see you're busy." Peeta said feeling embarrassed by his proposal, "Maybe another time." He turned slowly, shuffling back down the lane in the direction of his house.

"Peeta!" Katniss hollered, "Wanna come with me?" feeling sorry for the baker.

"I dunno, Katniss," Peeta said awkwardly kicking a stone around, "I think I'll just go see if Haymitch needs help drinking any whisky."

"Come on it will be fun," Katniss highly doubted that, but ever since they came back from the games, things hadn't been the same and she promised to herself that she would make an efford when it came to Peeta, "And plus, I doubt Haymitch needs much help with that." Katniss reassured Peeta with a smile and started to walk in the direction of the woods. She stopped and turned around at Peeta tilting her head in the direction of her journey she was about to take, beckoning him to follow. Peeta hurried after her and they both left the Victor's Village side by side in the early hours of the cool spring morning, feeling carefree and forgetting all about their worries, for the time being.

They walked through the meadow in silence having just squeezed through the not so electrical fence surrounding their district, luckily not being recognised by any peacekeepers or wondering villagers due to their newly found, unwanted fame. When making it deeper into the wooded forest beyond the plush meadow, Katniss found the hollowed out tree consuming her bow and arrows. She slung her sheath over her shoulder clutching her bow tightly, knowing her much it meant to her.

They ventured further into the forest where the density of trees rose and found the usual spot Katniss liked to hunt, fish or forage in. Usually with Gale. She shrugged off the thought of Gale; the two had been distant ever since she came back, like they didn't quite understand each other anymore

Peeta slumped on a nearby rock, astonished at how Katniss could walk this distance almost every single morning and not be out of breath.

"So what do you want to do?" Katniss asked a red faced Peeta, "We can hunt, fish or gather." Peeta pondered Katniss' question: fished was out of the question as he didn't know which end of the swear to use and he knew full well what happened last time he went gathering for berries.

I've always wanted to know how to use a bow and arrow." Peeta joked pointing helplessly at the bow in Katniss' grip. Katniss laughed at his suggestion, shaking her head at the thought of Peeta either breaking her beloved bow or seriously injuring himself or her by a clumsy aim.

"Come on then," She chuckled, gesturing him to get up and move over to her, to get some help on how to use it. This could be interesting, she thought.

….

After what felt like hours of demonstrating and advising, Katniss placed the bow into Peeta's clammy palms, almost confident that he could now handle the weapon. He still stood there open mouthed in awe as Katniss shot another squirrel effortlessly in the pupil for the fifth time, getting a clean shot with every arrow. He admired how concentration was plastered over her face as she pulled back the taut cord cradling the arrow to her delicate lips, eyes focused on her target and breathing calmly as her slender fingers let go causing her muscles to go slack and the arrow to rotate perfectly in the direction of her unlucky victim.

Peeta stared down at the bow in his grasp like it was a foreign object he had never seen before.

"I've never let anyone else use this bow before," Katniss explained, emphasising the anyone, "So if you break it, I'll break you!" Katniss playfully threatened, emphasising the you as she reassuringly patted Peeta on the shoulder. Katniss perched herself on a nearby log as Peeta positioned his feet in the damp forest floor, perfecting his stance for what he thought would add up to an excellent bullseye. Breathing calmly in through his nose and out through his slightly parted mouth, he drew back the bow in a movement no where as fluid as Katniss'. He tilted the bow up so the arrow head was in line with his target, a bundle of leaves and moss that Katniss had delicately positioned and let go of the cord causing the arrow to go in a frenzy of violent fits, landing several feet in front of him.

"Oh," Peeta said, scratching his head in confusion turning to Katniss who was struggling to keep herself from laughing. He smiled at her happiness. She got up, eventually and wiped her tear-filled eyes, "I'm sorry," She chuckled, "It's only your first go. You'll get the hang of it sooner or later." Peeta repositioned himself and drew another arrow from the sheath hoping this time it would travel more than a couple of feet.

After lots of arrows darted around the trees, the occasional duck from Katniss and a lot of screwed up features from his many failed attempts, Peeta had successfully hit uncleanly an animal that wasn't the oblivious ant or unfortunate butterfly.

"Nice job, Peeta," Katniss congratulated as she walked over to the limb squirrel Peeta had shot and put it in her sack with the other wildlife they had captured. Well, she had captured.

"I'm definitely getting better." Peeta grinned pleased with his performance.

"well your certainly not getting any worse that's for sure!" Katniss joked.

"Maybe I can come along another time?" He asked nervously, trying not to sound too forward.

"Maybe," Katniss replied sedately, despite the fact she had genuinely enjoyed herself with Peeta today, "We should get back."

"Thanks for the archery practice." Peeta said clearing his throat.

It was almost midday as they walked back. Much later than Katniss normally spent in the woods but they had lost track of time due to each other's company. They strolled through the woods back to civilisation and the utterly opposite world of their district from the picturesque woodland, in the same silence as before, they only difference being they had absentmindedly grown closer.

**OK, i hope you liked the first part of my (maybe) 3 part story. I wanted to used Prim in my story because I MISS HER! :'( Anyway please leave your reviews, much appreciated .**


	2. Chapter 2

Katniss knocked on the door, shuffling around impatiently waiting for the occupier to open up. Finally the front door swung open and she was greeted by the same baker with ashy blonde hair she had seen yesterday.

"Hey Katniss, come on it! I've got everything ready!" Peeta grinned, pleased to see the girl again, despite only seeing her the previous day. Peeta held the big oak door open as Katniss smiled softly in gratitude, entering her next door neighbour's luxuriant house, making a b-line for the kitchen.

Peeta had called in the early hours of this morning. He was keen to return Katniss' favour and asked her to come bake with him, as that was his special talent alike archery for Katniss. She on the other hand had been unsure on the proposal, trying to worm her way out of going round for a cookery class on the phone. But as per usual Peeta's charm was too much and she gave in along with a couple of groans and eye rolls. Spending too much time with Peeta was never a good idea in Katniss' opinion: She'd spent a lot of time with Peeta in the games and that just resulted in a false accusation of their star-crossed love for each other. But somehow she hated seeing the baker upset or disappointed, so she decided to go along with the whole charade.

Katniss walked into the kitchen with Peeta in pursuit and was welcomed by the fresh smell of yeast and flour, the gushing noise of the breeze filing through the open window and the heat of the bread oven that elected warmth throughout her body on this cool spring morning. Bags and boxes of all sizes encasing raising agents or powdered grains were cluttered along the island of work benches in the middle of the homely kitchen. Already made pastries sat on the table as Katniss gazed at a easel upon which a canvas perched painted with colours and outlines of the meadow beyond the fence of their district.

"Shall we get started then?" Peeta asked. Katniss returned her attention from the painting and to Peeta who was holding two aprons, one of which he thrusted towards her. She tied the apron around herself and followed Peeta to the counter where the ingredients lay.

"Before we start making the bread, go wash your hands." Peeta instructed, pointing towards the sink.

"Yes Chef!" Katniss huffed, stalking over to the sink. Peeta chuckled at her comment and weighed out the ingredient they needed for their cooking.

...

It was safe to say Katniss wasn't the greatest baker in Panem. It had looked so easy when Peeta had slowly guided her through all the steps to make this loaf, but somehow she had just ended up with a ball of sticky dough attached to her hands making them look like gloopy monsters.

"I leave you alone for two seconds and you've ruined it. Yet again." Peeta moaned who had just turned his back to check his bread that was cooking in the oven.

"I'm sorry." Katniss apologised. Baking was hard. A lot harder than archery, "I just can't seem to get the hang of it."

"You never will!" Peeta joked.

"Oy!" Katniss exclaimed nudging him with her elbow, "you got the hang of archery somehow, so nothing is impossible!" Peeta shook his head at her insult and dove his hand into the bag of flour and tipped a considerable amount over Katniss' dough, hoping it would save her disaster. She began to peel the concoction off her hands and awkwardly punch down on the mixture, squeezing it and poking her fingers at it, wishing it would magically come together and have the normal consistency of dough.

"What are you doing?" Peeta questioned as her actions became more frantic and hopeless, "let me." And with that he glided his fingers over Katniss', lingering a little too long. Katniss felt the warmth of Peeta's rough fingers caress over hers and leave to attend the dough, leaving a invisible mark on her hands only she could feel. He started to knead the bread with ease, taming it into its rightful consistency. The concentration on Peeta's face reminded Katniss of the one that engulfed her face when she drew her bow and arrow; both people lost in a world of their favourite things, maybe the only thing that could keep them sane after a day of difficulty, much alike their lives nowadays.

"There. Good as new!" Peeta praised himself as he placed Katniss' saved dough on a tray and inserted it into the oven along with his loaf.

...

They spent the rest of the morning and some of the afternoon talking, laughing and eating their bread. Realised what time it was, Katniss thought she really ought to be leaving as her family must be wondering where she was due to the fact she left before anyone was awake this morning. Katniss leaned against the table as Peeta carefully wrapped up what was left of her loaf so she could proudly show her mum and sister what she had made. Katniss was feeling stuffed as Peeta had given her some of his other pastries to try for a second opinion. They were so delicious, that was why she was feeling so bloated. Maybe too much of a good thing was bad for you after all. She glanced at the painting of the meadow a couple of miles from here. It was unfinished but still beautiful. "Peeta must like to document events in his life" she thought, "It must be nice having souvenirs from times you had. Maybe not all of them." She shuddered at the thought of some of the times she had had, but was brought back to realisation by Peeta whistling a tune that sounded awfully like the Valley Song.

Peeta handed Katniss her bread and slowly ushered her to the hallway.

"Thank you for a master class in something I never knew I was so bad at!" Katniss thanked turning to face the stocky man. She hadn't felt as happy as she had felt in these past two days in a long time.

"Anytime Katniss." Peeta grinned warmly squeezing her hand tight. Katniss initiated a hug in return for the day, getting lost in the safety of Peeta's big arms. Peeta furrowed his brow confused by Katniss' unusual but wanted forwardness. They slowly broke away and Katniss exited the house.

Walking down the lane across the pebbled surface back to her house, she clutched the loaf in her arms, an edible souvenir of the time she had spent with Peeta but also a souvenir unintentionally causing the two to become even more closer.


End file.
